Keys for Seahawks offense against the Rams defense

It would be putting it kindly to say the Seattle Seahawks offense struggled against the Green Bay Packers last Sunday.

The offensive unit was inept, failing to find any sort of rhythm on the ground or through the air. Quarterback Russell Wilson threw a career high five interceptions, making it impossible for the Seahawks to move the ball down the field.

With a short week of preparation to prepare for the Rams, it’ll be interesting to see how Wilson responds to Sunday’s loss, and what offensive coordinator Darrell Bevell will do to help Wilson and the offense get back on track.

Here are some keys Bevell should consider.

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Run, Rawls, run

While the Rams enter Thursday night with a top-10 overall defense, their rush defense ranks 20th in the league, surrendering 110.3 yards per game. While Seattle’s running game has been nothing to celebrate this season, Thomas Rawls has slowly been breathing life back into the ground game. Since Rawls’s return from injury in Week 11, the Seahawks are averaging 140 rushing yards per game. In Weeks 1 through 10, the Seahawks averaged just 77.7 rushing yards per game. The key for the offense is to establish the ground game from the opening drive.

Stop Aaron Donald

Seattle’s offensive line has been a major issue for the team all season long, but against the Rams, they’ll need to be in top form to stop one of the NFL’s best defenders in Aaron Donald. Donald currently leads the NFL this season with 27 quarterback hits, and his 16 tackles for a loss also lead the league. Last week against Green Bay, the Packers had nine quarterback hits on Wilson. Seattle will need to do a much better job of protecting Wilson, who has been sacked 20 times in the last six games.

Bounce back for Wilson

Wilson needs to pull himself out of whatever funk he’s in, and facing one of the worst teams in the NFL should help inspire a little confidence in the Seattle quarterback. Wilson has lost three-straight games against the Rams, but he’s 7-1 at home in prime-time games, throwing for 16 touchdowns and three interceptions with a passer rating of 110.7. Get Wilson into a groove early, and things should work out well for the offense.